Monte Carlo Simulation of Transport in Technologically Significant Semiconductors of the Diamond and Zinc-Blende Structures—Part I Homogeneous Transport

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulations of electron transport in seven semiconductors of the diamond and zinc-blende structure (Ge, Si, GaAs, InP, AlAs, InAs, GaP) and some of their alloys (A1<inf>x</inf> Ga<inf>1-x</inf> As, In<inf>x</inf> Ga<inf>1-x</inf> As, Ga<inf>x</inf> In<inf>1-x</inf> P), and hole transport in Si have been performed at two lattice temperatures (77 and 300 K). The model employs band structures obtained from local empirical pseudopotential calculations and particle-lattice scattering rates computed from the Fermi Golden Rule accounting for band-structure effects. Intervalley deformation potentials significantly lower than those previously reported in the Monte Carlo literature are needed to reproduce available experimental data. This is attributed to the more complicated band structures we have adopted, particularly around the L- and X-symmetry points in most materials. Despite the satisfactory agreement obtained between Monte Carlo results and some experiments, the inconsistency or lack of experimental information regarding the band structure (AlAs, GaP, InP), velocity-field characteristics (GaP, InAs, A1<inf>x</inf> Ga<inf>1-x</inf> As, As, Ga<inf>x</inf> In<inf>1-x</inf> P), and impact ionization coefficients (InAs) of many materials indicate that a significant uncertainty still remains in our ability to describe the charge transport in many of these technologically significant materials. © 1991 IEEE